


Bucky Barnes V Zombies, Run!

by Nothing_but_the_Rain



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Zombies Run!
Genre: Gen, Tony always has to foot the bill, avengers gym should be more indestructable, comic nonsense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-03
Updated: 2015-04-03
Packaged: 2018-03-21 03:31:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3675801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nothing_but_the_Rain/pseuds/Nothing_but_the_Rain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someone (no one's admitting to it now) suggested Bucky try the Zombies, Run! app when he next uses the treadmill in the gym.</p>
<p>It doesn't turn out so well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bucky Barnes V Zombies, Run!

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so this silly nonsense is due to me having an idea for a short comic and NO skills to carry it out, so it's a fic instead.
> 
> I don't even know.
> 
> I think I should apologise.

Someone had clearly thought this would be a good idea.

_Someone_ clearly didn't have the brains they were born with.

Who the hell in their right mind would suggest a post apocalyptic immersive zombie running app; complete with gun fire, mission objectives, conspiracy and, oh yeah, Zombie chases to a recovering brainwashed assassin.

When Tony found said someone, they could foot the repair bill for once.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Installed... open?_

Bucky tapped on open with the thumb of his right hand as he pushed the dangling left ear bud into his ear with the other. The application opened up to show a set of blast doors and a list of options.

Tap, settings, tap, select play list, tap, kilometres per hour, tap Zombie chases on. Why not.

Tapping on story, he continued down the corridor to the gym. An image of a helicopter and the words _save humanity and discover the source of the zombie plague!_   appeared on the screen of his phone and underneath, what was apparently the first run ( _mission_ ) JOLLY ALPHA FIVE NINER _The story begins_.

He hoped it would make the monotony of the treadmill a little more bearable until he felt he could trust himself to run outside with Steve and Sam. He was beginning to feel like a caged animal inside the Tower, as nice as it was. But the idea of being surrounded by so many living breathing bodies as teemed on the streets of New York. No, he couldn't. It made his skin crawl just thinking of it. Besides, could he trust himself with so many people ( _threats, targets_ ) around him? Not yet, not just now.

Stay in the gym, with the boring monotony of the treadmill to while away the miles, and make him sweat before he hit the free weights and the assault course.

The gym was deserted, as he'd hoped. Steve and Sam had gone on their run an hour before and wouldn't be back at the Tower for a while. Tony was in his lab (had been for 72 hours by this point, Pepper was in Dubai on business). Natasha and Clint were still in their quarters. He knew, he'd checked with JARVIS.

"Your usual play list, Sergeant Barnes?" JARVIS enquired as he stepped up to the running machine (Stark had specially designed these to take the hammering he and Steve could meter out on their runs).

"Not today, pal. I'm trying out this thing on my phone."

He frowned to himself, feeling a bit silly suddenly.

"Ah fuck it," he muttered under his breath, "what's the worst that could happen..."

He stepped up to the platform and started the machine, cranking the speed up, so he was going at rapid pace. And pressed play on the first mission.

The sound of helicopter blades filled his ears and his heart rate picked up.

A British woman starts talking in his ear, supposedly the pilot of the helo, talking as if she was talking _to_  him. He/the person in the app isn't replying, he/app him keeps quiet, stoic as ever as the woman questions him about his mission, as if she's making conversation rather than trying to find out what his objectives are.

Then the helo is hit and they are coming down. His heart rate steps up a notch and he speeds up his pace.

Apparently they have crashed, the radio operator for their destination, Abel Township, where his mission is, is talking to him. Amazed he is still alive. Bucky snorts, of course he's still alive, straightening his posture as he continues to pound on the treadmill.

The radio operator tells him he needs to run as there are zombies moving in on his location. His pace increases again, and a song from his play list starts. Bohemian Rhapsody. He has the fleeting thought that it's maybe not quite the song for a zombie apocalypse, but the thought is cut short when a feminine sounding computerised voice cuts in making him startle slightly (so glad he's on his own in the gym), tells him he has collected a pair of trousers and a sports bra... this makes him frown, why would he pick up a sports bra... maybe for Natalia.

Another voice comes over the com, with the radio operators, Sam he's called, an American woman, a doctor. She gives him a mission. Run to the hospital and collect as much medicine as he can carry. She doesn't say it explicitly but the threat is clear, get medical supplies or don't expect to be let into Abel. They give him a designation ( _asset_ ) Runner Five.

He snorts again. Cake walk.

Another song comes on, Prodigy’s Colours, the rapid beat making his feet move faster, appearing like a blur... _Collected a pack of 9mm bullets_... finally something useful.

When...

_Zombies 50 meters_ a bland computerised warning though his head set ( _ear buds? what?_ ) and the slavering, guttural sound of zombies breathing in his ear... and the hairs on the back of his neck raise, his skin crawls, his pupils dilate...

And he's leaping off the treadmill and his metal fist is lashing out and...

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sirs," JARVIS' normally calm British demeanour, sounds slightly flustered, as it comes over the speakers in both the common room and Tony's lab, "I believe it may be prudent for you all to attend the gym. Sergeant Barnes appears to be... happening to it."

Tony arrives at the same time as Steve and Sam. Clint and Natasha having apparently arrived a moment before hand are standing just outside the large glass doors to the gym, which JARVIS has removed the privacy 'fogging' effect from, allowing them a clear view into...

Chaos

Absolute fucking devastation.

"What...?" Tony stares in at his once beautiful state of the art gym, his mouth a perfect o of dismay.

"Hi boys." Natasha says riley, raising one perfect eyebrow as if the scene in the gym is both perfectly normal and perfectly hilarious.

Even Steve is stopped short at the sight of Bucky Barnes... the Winter Soldier... _Bucky Barnes_... still with his ear buds in, hefting the deltoid press machine and launching it at an ever increasing pile of gym apparatus in the middle of the room.

"Is that," Tony stammers, "Is he, building a _barricade_ in the middle of my gym?!"

"It would appear so," Clint replies. And Tony would swear he could he the laugh in his voice.

"Why's he building a barricade in the middle of my gym? JARVIS?"

"It would appear sir, that Sergeant Barnes is trying out the Zombies, Run! application on his phone. I called you all as soon as his behaviour became erratic."

Steve squared his shoulders and stepped towards the door, muttering "Zombies!" under his breath, as one of the treadmills joined the pile.

"JARVIS," Tony said, "shut the winter builder's phone down. Oooo! I know, try out that pinpoint EMP we've been playing with." Sounding excited at the prospect of testing out a new toy.

"Very well, sir."

A second later Bucky faltered in mid throw, looking momentarily confused, holding a barbell over his head.  Steve was now stood in front of him, arms out palms up, placating and none threatening as possible. "Buck?"

Bucky's expression flickered again, before settling on confusion as he looked at Steve, simultaneously lowering his arms and the barbell.

"Steve?" His brow creased even more as he took in the state of the gym, "Um... Zombies?"

At least he looked sheepish about it.

Tony was definitely going to make whoever the someone was who suggested that app, pay for a new gym.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> commandervimescigar on Tumblr


End file.
